MOT fail-help

[ro284]

Not all these mot Testers know about the non cat test, Mine paassed with excellent emissions last week, The guy said they sometimes have to go on a re-fresher course!  out of 12 guys tested for knowledge about emissions with regards to Early rotary cars, only two testers knew about the non cat testing. Fortunately my tester was one of them!
However my cars emissions were=
 CO:---0.01% vol
 HC:---41ppm vol Which i was very pleased with, i run premix 100/1 so that obviously is not a problem, (if anyone wondered as i did) That is with the Cat and the air pump on. 92 Jap model. standard ecu.also a Dolphin Tail pipe, if that makes any difference!

[johnm]

Take to the 5 Mile Garage at Kingswells - great guys, actually tries to get the car through the test.  Once I had sorted my closed loop control, I had similar results to ro284 during my Cat test, but my idle emissions were not that good, must still have an issue somewhere, but passed mot.

Looking at your lamba I would say your air pump is not there or not engaging, but your CO and HC are very high, so yo may either have no cat, a defective cat and/or very rich.  With the air pump on, the lamba can be high circa 1.1 to 1.4.  

The air pump is the top pulley on the left of the engine.  There is a magnetic clutch, the triangle bit on the pulley should be rotating if engaged.  The relay for the the air pump is just in front of the air box.  There are four pins, back left, is 12v all the time - from fuse via air pump, the next nearest left is earth, the front left is a 12v when the ignition is turned on, the front right is the control from the ECU and causes the relay to latch on or disengage.  The mag clutch is controlled by earthing the live to disengage clutch.

Imports up to 1 Aug 95 do not need a cat test, those registered after do need one

[rxangus]

I didn\'t think MOT testing stations had any discretion any more. They just type your registration into the computer and it sets the limit based on what your V5 says the age of the car is. If you have an M reg that that is first registered between Aug 1st 94 and July 31st 95 so non-cat test is correct.

Not sure you can argue with the tester though - may need to contact DVLA??

[666FLO]

I dont have the car at work with me, but now you\'ve mentioned that I\'m 98% sure that the air pump has been disconnected and I cant reconnect it coz it cause the car to back fire? must mess up the map in Apexi PFC commander thing ? would that be right?? I\'m guessing here but my car has probably has no CAT too. I can confirm that It is running slightly rich as well but it always has been since I bought it.

Oh well will check the car out this weekend and I\'m going to go back with all the papers and see if he can retest under a non cat. worth a try if not them i will take it to that garage you have mentioned.

[666FLO]

I didn\'t think MOT testing stations had any discretion any more. They just type your registration into the computer and it sets the limit based on what your V5 says the age of the car is. If you have an M reg that that is first registered between Aug 1st 94 and July 31st 95 so non-cat test is correct.

Not sure you can argue with the tester though - may need to contact DVLA??

yup it is defo an M reg, so not sure how that happened then if the garage has no discretion over it.. god don\'t say i have to contact the dreaded DVLA. . will see what he says first fingers & toes crossed..

[Gregory_Da_Grasshopp]

For my FC the limits were CO <= 3.5%, HC <= 1200ppm non cat test!
1st test my actuall readings were 6.1% and 1700ppm
mines got no cat or emissions equipment on it, luckly the garge i do work on my car at has a tester so we ran the car up to warm operating temp and then he adjusted the timing a so not so much unburnt fuel came through the system. You  could see the readings drop! after that i got 3.1% and 1280ppm, we then put v-power in her and took her for a test, and i got a pass!!

hope this helps!

[666FLO]

http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m3s07000307.htm

just thought i would post this link up for anyone else who wants a read. Its the full guide to MOT testing.. lol. ( I think anyway) I  thought it was rather helpful. from looking at the chart he has said mine was after august the 1st but he couldnt find a match so he has used the cat test default..

[adib]

ive a 92 fd and had my mot last week and the guy put it down as a cat car so it failed on emissions check with another place and they said he was right, said any car reg after july 92 has to be tested as a cat

[logicalChimp]

any *UK* car after 92 has to have a cat.  Imports got another 3 years before needing a cat.